Group Clinical Director

Job responsibilities

Helping others improve and turn their lives around theres no better feeling. Its what we do for thousands of people at more than 150 sites across the UK. Be a part of it.

Salary: Market leading package

Location: Millbank

Are you a dynamic and visionary clinical leader ready to shape the future of mental health care?

Are you ready to continue your journey with an award-winning, industry-leading organisation where quality is at the heart of everything we do - and excellence is more than just a word, its our culture? With just under 300 medical professionals on our team, were proud to be setting the standard for care and creating opportunities for our people to grow.

Cygnet Health Care is seeking an exceptional Group Clinical Director (GCD) to take on a pivotal executive leadership role. As the most senior medical leader within the organisation, you will play a lead role in the company achieving its objectives, drive the strategic direction, uphold the highest professional standards, and lead a high-performing medical workforce dedicated to delivering safe, effective, and person-centred care.

This is a unique opportunity to collaborate at the highest level across multidisciplinary teams, influence organisational priorities, and champion a culture of innovation, learning, and continuous improvement.

Cygnet distinguishes itself through a unique combination of scale, specialism, and personalisation of care. Our 13,000 staff support 8,300 individuals and with a portfolio of over 150 services, we offer care acro ss a range of services from acute, PICU, Eating Disorders and CAMHS. We have a strong reputation for quality, inclusion, and staff satisfaction. We stand apart through our ability to deliver exceptional, high-acuity care at scale, underpinned by deep clinical understanding, sector-leading quality ratings, and an unwavering focus on person-centred practice.

We keep our focus on maintaining high-quality standards across all our services, consistently achieving sector-leading regulatory ratings across the UK. 81% of services evaluated earned a Good or Outstanding rating by regulators, outperforming the national average. Cygnet has 17% higher CQC Good or Outstanding ratings than the rest of the mental health independent sector and 95% of our hospitals are rated Good or Outstanding by our internal quality assessment team. Our collaboration with 360 commissioning bodies, has not only allowed us to support integrated pathways of care, but has also helped shape local and regional strategies for individuals with complex needs.

Cygnet has also been recognised externally, with recent wins at the HealthInvestor Awards including Specialist Care Provider of the Year and has also been recognised by the Carers Trust, with 20 of our services being awarded Triangle of Care accreditation.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare, this is a full-time executive role with primary responsibility for leading and overseeing the professional, operational and strategic aspects of the medical and allied health professional (AHP) workforce, and the services delivered by doctors and associated clinicians.

Working in close partnership with the Executive Team, operational leaders and clinical professionals, the post holder will play a pivotal role in developing high-performing, clinically led services that deliver outstanding outcomes for service users, commissioners, families and wider stakeholders.

This is a remote role but will include travel to our Millbank office in Westminster, and sites across Cygnet, so access to a car & UK driving licence is essential.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Governance

Provide senior medical leadership to drive organisational strategy, innovation and growth. Advise the Board on clinical, regulatory and professional matters while supporting service development, acquisitions and new opportunities .

Clinical Quality & Safety

Lead the medical governance framework, ensuring high standards of clinical quality, patient safety and regulatory compliance. Oversee risk management, incidents and continuous improvement, providing assurance at Board level.

Medical Leadership & Workforce

Inspire and lead medical teams, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability and development. Support recruitment, retention, succession planning and the growth of future medical leaders.

Regulation & Standards

Act as the organisations senior medical advisor, ensuring compliance with regulatory bodies, professional standards and Mental Health Act requirements, and leading responses to inspections and reviews .

Operational & Commercial Impact

Partner with operational teams to enhance service performance, outcomes and growth. Contribute medical expertise to tenders, contracts and commissioner relationships, balancing quality with sustainability.

External Representation & Leadership

Build strong stakeholder relationships and represent the organisation at industry level, enhancing reputation as a leading provider of mental health and social care services.

Corporate Responsibility

Champion organisational values, equality, diversity and safeguarding, acting as a visible, credible executive leader.

We are looking for someone who is...

• Significant senior medical leadership experience within a large, complex healthcare organisation (e.g. Group/Regional/Divisional Medical Director level).
• Strong understanding of clinical and corporate governance frameworks and regulatory environments.
• In-depth knowledge of professional, educational and statutory requirements for medical and AHP staff.
• Broad understanding of current healthcare and social care challenges, including clinical, operational and performance pressures.
• Extensive post-qualification experience with a proven track record in leadership and people management.
• Experience in financial and budgetary management (desirable).
• Demonstrated expertise in strategy and policy development, service redesign and workforce transformation.
• Proven ability to lead organisational change, manage complexity and drive improvement across multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience in workforce planning, succession planning and role redesign.
• Strong background in clinical audit, research, and quality improvement within multi-professional environments.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and bring together diverse stakeholders.
• High emotional intelligence, with the ability to navigate complexity, resolve conflict and build consensus.
• Innovative, credible and solutions-focused leader with strong report writing and presentation capability.
• Committed to continuous professional ...